Christmas Decor! How to Make a Holiday Centerpiece with Fresh Flowers and Foliage



Posted: Monday, November 24, 2008

by Aaron Ward
http://www.FreshFlowerIdeas.com

Christmas is a great time for centerpieces and floral arrangements using evergreens. Centerpieces can be as simple or as elaborate as you would like. Depending on the flowers and foliage you use, they can also last a long time. The evergreens used in your centerpiece will last all month, and you can easily replace the flowers, if needed, to extend the life of the arrangement. This arrangement will look beautiful and have a fresh fragrance.

The supplies you will need to make a basic Christmas holiday centerpiece include: a plastic centerpiece tray, floral foam(Oasis), floral tape, wired wooden pegs, and if you want, a candle and spiked candle cups. The evergreens that can be used in this design include: juniper, which has small bluish berries, princess pine, incense cedar, and douglas fir. Other foliage to use includes: ming fern, eucalyptus, pittosporum and Holly leaves and berries. You will also need pine cones and hypericum berries. Recommended flowers include: red and/or white carnations, red and/or white spray roses, white chrysanthemums, cushion mums, button mums, and Starbursts (chyrsanthemums). Call your local florist to order your selection or pick up a bouquet of flowers from the supermarket.

Before you get started designing or putting together your flower arrangement, first prepare the floral foam by saturating it in water. Then, secure it in the centerpiece tray by using the floral tape. If candles are used, insert those next. When using tapered candles, the use of candle cups is recommended. In the case of a wider candle, anchor it in the floral foam by attaching a couple of wooden pegs to the base of the candle using floral tape. Prepare the pine cones by wrapping the wire of the wooden pegs around the base of the pine cones. Now you are ready to begin adding the evergreens.

Cut the evergreen pieces to the desired length as you begin your design. I suggest starting with one type of evergreen, spacing the pieces evenly around the design, and continue one kind at a time. Once most of the evergreens are in place, add any other foliage like the fern you may have. The goal with the evergreens and foliage is to have the floral foam completely covered before flowers are added. This method of putting them in is only a suggestion, there is a lot of freedom involved with floral design, though inserting the greens first and covering the floral foam is strongly recommended.

Now the arrangement is ready for some flowers. Cut of the individual blossoms on the stems of pixies, sprays, and mums. This gives you more to work with, spread them out in the design, or group some together. It is best to begin with the focal flower, like the carnations or Starbursts, and then fill in with the smaller flowers. If you decide to move things around once they have been poked into the floral foam, just make sure they are reinserted into a new place. Never pull out a flower and stick it back in the same place in the floral foam, it will loose its capability to absorb water. Once the flowers are basically in place, it is time to add the holly and the hypericum berries if this has not been done already. Finally, place the pine cones in the design and enjoy your beautiful fresh flower Christmas Centerpiece!

Some more ideas: if you would like, place a bow made of Christmas ribbon in the arrangement. If this arrangement is intended for several weeks, use less expensive flowers during the month such as carnations and replace these with more expensive flowers like roses or lilies for the main holiday dinner or event. Remember, the tray must be kept full of water in order for the flower arrangement to last.

Don't know where to get the floral supplies for this design? Visit http://www.FreshFlowerIdeas.com/ or http://www.FreshFlowerIdeasInfo.com/ L. Ward is a lover of fresh flowers and has made floral design ideas available for you for free to view at the above website. Please visit and look around for ideas, instructions, tips, and 'how to' videos on creating designs for holidays, special occasions, and everyday use. You can also order holiday floral arrangements online if you do not have time to make your own.

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